Combustion chamber and means for supplying plural liquid fuels thereto



R. H. GODDARD COMBUSTION CHAMBER AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PLURAL LIQUIDFUELS THERETO Filed-Oct. 20, 1942 Dec. 14. 1948.

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Patented Dec. 14, 1948 COIVIBUSTION CHAMBER AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYINGPLURAL LIQUID FUELS THERETO Robert H. Goddard, Roswell, N. Mex.,assignor of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 20, 1942,Serial No. 462,709

This invention relates to chambers in which combustion is maintained byfeeding coacting combustion liquids thereto. Such combustion liquids maybe gasoline or some other liquid fuel, and liquid oxygen or some otherliquid oxidizing agent.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved means forfeeding a combustion liquid to a combustion chamber and for developingsubstantial pressure in said liquid in addition to the initial feedingpressure.

A further object is to provide improved means I for cooling exposedsurfaces in a combustion A preferred form of the invention is shown in.

the drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a partial sectional front elevationof my improved combustion chamber, taken along the line in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view, partly in section, and taken along theline 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial bottom view, partly in section and looking in thedirection of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1; and v Figs. 4 and 5 are detailsectional elevations,

taken along the lines 4-4 and 5-5 in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively.Referrin to the drawings, I have shown a portion of a combustion chamberC having a cylindrical sidewall Ill and a convex upper end wall One ofthe combustion liquids, as gasoline, may be introduced tangentiallythrough spaced nozzles I2 (Figs. 1 and 2) in the side-wall [0, thenozzle construction preferably being as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 of myprior Patent No. 2,016,921 issued October 8, 1935.

An inverted conical disc 20 having an attached supply tube 2| is securedin the upper end of the combustion chamber C, and the space 22 betweenthe end wall H and the disc 20 and tube 2| may be filled with any lightheat-insulating material. A second conical disc 30 and a second tube 3|are mounted in spaced relation below the disc 20 and within the tube 2|,and the outer edges of 14 Claims. (01. 158-4) 2 the discs 20 and 30 areconnected by an end wall 33, also welded or otherwise secured to thewall I0. A second pair of flat or only slightly conical discs and-4| aremounted below the discs 20 and 30 and are held in spaced relation by anend wall 43.

The discs 30 and 40 are somewhat widely spaced apartlon'gitudinally ofthe chamber C to provide I radial spaces S which are outwardly enlargedand with open outer ends and which are separated by partition walls 50,arranged in pairs and with each pair connected by an end wall 5| toprovide a vertical enclosed passage 52 (Fig. 3)- through the space S andbetween the upper and outwardly expanding space Sland the correspondinglower space S2. Thespace SI is enclosed between the discs 20 and 30 andthe end wall 33, and the space S2 is enclosed between the discs 40 and4| and the end wall 43.

It will be understood that the discs 30 and 40 are cut away between thewalls of each pair, as indicated in Fig. 4. It will also be noted thatthe walls 50 of each pair are relatively further apart toward thecircumference of the discs 30 and 40.

Spacing partitions may be provided between the upper discs 20 and .30for additional support,

and these partitions fillmay have perforations 6| (Fig. 5) to providecircumferential communication. Similar perforated partitions may beprovided between the lower discs 40 and 4|. The lower discs '40 and 4|have upturned inner edges 40a. and 4|a, which edgesare spaced apart toprovide an annular orifice 10 (Fig. 1) forming an inlet to the spaces. 4

A tube 1| is mounted within the tubes 2| and 3|, previously described,and may be spaced from the tube 3| by heat-insulatin material 12.

A streamlined spreader I4 is mounted on a spiderlfi at the lower end ofthe tube H and coacts with the tube H to provide an annular nallyextending passage from the spaces 8 to the combustion chamber C.-

The improved feeding apparatus above described functions as follows:

Assuming that liquid oxygen is supplied under.

the tangential nozzles. l2.

between the tubes 2! and 3|, the oxygen will spread outward in the spaceSI, under induced pressure to be described, and will then fiow downwardthrough the vertical passages 52 of the pairs of partitions or walls 50to the lower space 82, in which space it will flow inward toward theannular orifice 10.

At this point the stream of liquid oxygen is joined by a relativelysmall supply of gasoline or other liquid fuel, delivered under lightpressure through the pipe H and through the annular orifice 16. Thisgasoline is ignited and combines with a small portion of the oxygen toproduce a considerable volume of combustion gases which flow rapidlyoutward through the spaces 5 and carry with them the major part of theliquid oxygen.

At the open outer ends of the spaces S this mass of liquid oxygen, moreor less vaporized by the combustion gases, encounters the main supply ofgasoline or other liquid fuel delivered through After interminglingtherewith, the resulting fluid mixture flows downward through the outerannular passage 80 to the combustion chamber C adjacent the chamber wallI0, thus providing a cooling film for said wall.

Combustion then takes place and a small amount of the combustion gasesfrom the chamber C are drawn upward as fiame through the annular opening11 between the spreader I4 and the inner edge Ma of the lower disc 4|.This hot flame helps to maintain combustion of the small amount ofgasoline entering through the port orifice 16 as'it mingles with therelatively large amount of oxygen in the spaces S.

The streams of liquids supplied through the annular port orifices l0 and16 create a, relatively low pressure area adjacent the inner and lowerport orifice 11, which draws the small igniting flame through theorifice l1 and also prevents back flow of any of the combustion liquidstherethrough.

It will be noted that the discs 20, 30, 40 and 4| are all jacketed andcooled by the liquid oxygen passing through the spaces SI and. S2. Thisis an important advantage, as the disc 4! is exposed to the hightemperature in the combustion cham-' ber C, and the discs 30 and 40 areexposed to the high temperature in the spaces S, occasioned by the hotcombustion gases passing outward thereenlargement'of the verticalpassages 52 cause more uniform flow of liquid from the space Si to tothe details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims,but what I claim is:

1. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber havingan end wall, means forming an entrance passage-adjacent the chamber axisfor a combustion liquid, a hollow double disc communicating near itscenter with said passage and closed around its outer edge portion, asecond hollow double disc also'closed about its outer edge portion andhaving an annular port orifice at its middle portion, hollow partitionmembers fixed between said discs and connecting the hollow interiors ofsaid discs and maintaining said discs in axially aligned butsubstantially separated fixed relation, and means to supply a coactingcombustion liquid to said first liquid adjacent said annular portorifice.

2. The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 1, inwhich the hollow partitions are radially disposed and increase outwardlyin circumferential width.

3. The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 1, inwhich means is provided to introduce an igniting flame to the mixedliquids at said annular port orifice.

4. The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 1, inwhich the upper and lower members of each hollow double disc are held infixed spaced relation by a plurality of radially disposed andtransversely perforated partition elements.

5. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber havinga substantially cylindrical outer wall, means to supply a combustionliquid entering tangentially at said outer wall, means to supply acoacting combustion liquid ply liquid fuel and a liquid oxidizing agentad-' jacent the axis of said chamber, distributing means including};plurality of expanding delivery passages for said liquids, and structuredefining two adjacent annular concentric port orifices positioned at theinner ends of said radial passages and from which adjacent orifices saidliquids are simultaneously discharged and intermingled, and means toconduct said two liquids to said concentric orifices.

7; The combination in a combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 6, inwhich a third port orifice is provided adjacent the first two orifices,which third orifice communicates with the body of the combustion chamberand delivers a, relatively small portion of hot combustion gases to theintermingling liquids.

8. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamberenclosed at least in part by a surface of revolution, means to supplyliquid oxygen and a, portion of a liquid fuel to said chamber adjacentthe axis of said chamber, means to intermingle said liquids and toconduct the intermingled liquids radially outward at high speed andagainst the combustion chamber wall,

and meansito supply additional liquid fuel at the zone of impact of saidintermingled liquids with advantages thereof, I do not wish to limitedsaid wall.

9. In a combustion apparatus, means formin ing one side of said thirdorifice and a stream-- lined upper surface of said spreader forming oneside of said first-mentioned orifice.

10. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamberenclosed at least in partby a surface of revolution, structure in saidenclosed at least in part I fuel to said orifice, structure in saidchamber defining a second concentric and adjacent annular orifice, meansto supply a. liquid oxidizing agent to said second orifice, structuredefining a third concentric and adjacent annular orifice throughvelocity, means to supply a coacting combustion liquid to said chamberand to intermlngle por tions of'said liquids adjacent the axis of thechamber, means forming directive passages for the combustion liquids andgases and leading outwardly from said last-named means, and means tointroduce a relatively small portion of hot combustion gases from withinthe combustion chamher into the intermingled combustion liquids tosustain preliminary combustion of said intermingled portions, thecombustion gases thus produced increasing the velocity of the outwardtravel of any. portion 'of said first liquid remaining in said outwardlydirective passages substantially above its low initial velocity.

. 12. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamberhaving asubstantially cylindrical outer wall, means to supply acombustion liquid entering tangentially at said outer wall, means tosupply a second and coacting combustion liquid entering adjacent theaxis of said.

chamber, structure defining a plurality of .outwardly expanding radialdirective passages, and means to-cause-preliminary combustion to takeplace adjacent the inner ends'of said radial passages, the outflow ofthe combustion gases thus produced by preliminary combustion inducingoutflow of the unconsumed part of said second liquid through saidplurality of radial directive passages and against said outer wall athigh 6 locity, means to supply a second and coac ing combustion liquidadjacent the axis of said chamber, hollow walls within said chamberforming converging passages with constricted inner end orifices andthrough which constricted orifices said first liquid is fed to and mixedwith said second combustion liquid after said first liquid has passedtoward the chamber axis through said convergingpassages, and means tointroduce a small portion of hot combustion gases from the combustionchamber to said mixed liquids to. cause preliminary. combustion of asmall vaporized portion of said mixed liquids to take place adjacent theconstricted innerends of said converging passages,

14. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamberhavinga substantially cylindrical outer wall, means to supply -a portion of afirst combustion liquid axially to said chamber, means to supplythemajor part of said first combustion liquid tangentially at said outerwall, means to supply a second and coacting combustion liquid to saidchamberat a: relatively low initial entrance velocity, hollow wallswithin said chamber forming converging passages with constricted innerend. orifices and through which constricted orifices said second liquidis supplied and intimately intermingled wlth'said first liquid aftertravelling toward the axis of said combustion chamber through saidconverging passages, means to introduce a small portion of hotcombustion gases from the combustion chamber to said mixed liquids toraise the temperature and vaporize said mixed liquids adjacent said axisand tocause preliminary combustion of a vaporized part of the axiallydelivered portion of said first radial outward velocity and said twocombustion I liquids being thereby intimately intermingled at said outerwall.

13. In a combustion apparatus, means forming a combustion chamber havinga longitudinal axis, means to supply a combustion liquid to'said chamberat a relatively low initial entrance vecombustion liquid with a smallvaporized portion of said second and coac'tin'g combustion liquid totake place adjacent the constricted inner ends of said passages, andmeans to direct the combustion gases thus produced outward to said outerROBERT n. aonmnnf REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the .file of this patent:

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